Electric lamp unit



Oct. 18, 1960 R. B. KENNETT ELECTRIC LAMPUNIT Filed April 21, 1958 INVENTOR A 44 PH 8- KENNETT ATTORNEYS nine rates at gt ELECTRIC LAMP UNIT Ralph B. Kennett, East Orange, N.J., assignor to Tung- Sol Electric Inc, a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 729,715

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-128) The present invention relates to electric lamps and comprises an improved lamp base construction which obviates the necessity of special sockets. The new lamp base is essentially both a base and a socket. It is simple and economical to manufacture and assemble, may be firmly mounted in an opening in any suitable receptacle and readily attached to electric wiring.

The combined lamp base and socket includes a cylindrical member having a collar provided with spring means thereon which engage the periphery of a receptacle aperture and insure firm mounting and good electrical contact without requiring close fit and accurate dimensions of either lamp base or receptacle. The base and socket also includes conductive tubular elements into which, during assembly of a lamp to the base, the ungrounded lamp leads are inserted and which thereafter are flattened to grip the leads and provide spade terminals for the device.

For a better understanding of the invention and of preferred constructional features thereof, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing of which:

Fig. l is an exploded view of a lamp unit embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, of the assembled lamp unit of Fig. 1 mounted in a receptacle;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a harness suitable for coupling to the terminals of the combined base and socket of the assembled lamp unit.

The new lamp unit is particularly advantageously em ployed in automobile application or the like and accordingly a unit suitable for such use is illustrated in the drawing. Obviously the particular lamp of the unit and the specific location of use thereof is immaterial to the invention. The elements of a lamp unit embodying the invention are shown in Fig. 1 as comprising a lamp 2 which, in the particular embodiment illustrated, is of the two filament type having three external leads 4 of which one, when the bulb is assembled to the base, is the ground lead. The combined base and socket for the lamp 2 comprises a cylindrical member 6 of metal having an annular shoulder 8 at one end thereof provided with a locating notch or recess 10 at one portion of its periphery and a collar 12 adapted to be welded or otherwise secured to the shoulder 8 and having a locating notch or recess 14 for alignment with the recess 10. The collar 12 is formed with a plurality of upstanding spring fingers 16 which, when the assembled lamp is to be mounted, engage the periphery of a mounting aperture in a receptacle. A second notch 13 at the outer periphery of the collar 12 is provided for reception of the ground lead of the lamp bulb 2, the lead being welded to the collar 12 at the notch 18. A disc 2% of insulating fibrous or plastic material and of a diameter to fit snugly within the cylinder 6 is provided with two oval holes 22 and 24 disposed generally with their major axes perpendicular. Two tubes 23 and 3%) of oval cross section and each having a flaring month at the upper end thereof are pressed into the respective holes 22 and 24 to bring their mouths flush with the upper surface of the disc.

In assembling the above described elements the collar 12 and shoulder 8 are first secured together. The ground lead of the bulb 2 is then Welded to the collar 12 at the notch 18 as indicated at 32 in Fig. 3 and the bulb 2 cemented to the collar as indicated at 34 in Fig. 2. The disc 20, carrying the tubular elements 28 and 30, is then introduced into the open end of the cylinder 6 and the two remaining leads of the lamp are threaded into the flared ends of the tubes 28 and 30. The disc 20 is then staked into the cylinder 6 by indentations in the wall thereof as indicated at 36 in Fig. 2 and the protruding ends of the tubes 23 and 30 are flattened to clamp the lead wires therein and to provide spade terminals 38 and 49 for the completed unit.

The assembled unit is then ready for mounting in any receptacle having an aperture dimensioned to receive the bulb 2 but not the collar 12. Preferably the receptacle will be provided with a tab or similar means for cooperation with the locating recesses in the shoulder and collar to insure desired orientation of the lamp filaments in the receptacle. 'In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated the receptacle is shown as a reflector 42 having an aperture 44 therein provided with a locating and locking tab 45. The aperture 44 is dimensioned to receive the bulb 2 and the spring fingers 16 of the collar 12, these latter being compressed during introduction of the unit into the receptacle and thereby serving to resiliently hold the assembled unit in the receptacle. The unit is mounted in the receptacle with the tab 46 aligned with the locating recesses 14 and 10.

To connect the mounted lamp unit to an external circuit a plastic T-shaped connector, such as shown at 48 in Fig. 4 may be provided, the connector having conductors therein for engagement with the terminals 38 and 40, the connector conductors being connected to external Wiring such as shown at 50.

From the foregoing description it Will be apparent that the invention provides a lamp having a combined base and socket which is readily assembled and which requires no accurate dimensioning with respect to a receptacle therefor. The spring fingers on the collar insure ready mounting of the unit and also good electrical contact to a receptacle. The tubular elements, flattened after insertion of the lamp leads therein, avoid the necessity of soldered connections to the leads and at the same time provide spade terminals for the device. Obviously various changes in the particular construction illustrated could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the accompanying claim. For example, the spring fingers, instead of being integral with the collar could be separate spring elements added thereto; the base portion of the lamp unit although preferably circular in cross section as described, need not be of such shape; and lamps having other than two filaments could be employed. For the particular plastic connector shown other types of connectors could be employed or the eX- ternal circuit connections could be made directly to the spade terminals of the unit. Other variations will occur to those skilled in the art.

The following is claimed:

A rear loading lamp unit for coupling to an external circuit comprising a hollow cylindrical metal base element having an annular collar at one end thereof, a lamp bulb cemented within said collar, a disc of insulating material within said base element and locked to the Wall thereof, said disc having a pair of oval shaped apertures therethrough with their major axes disposed perpendicular to each other, a tubular element of conductive material and of oval cross section mounted in each said aperi 3 ture and extending out from said base element, said tubular elements being flared at one end for reception of the external leads of said lamp-.bulb and to anchor the elements-in said disc and havingfiattened' outer ends c1arnp'- ingsaid leads therein; said flattened" tubular elements senvingas prongterminal's of' the unit for coupling to an external circuit and spring means symmetrically disposedon saidxcollansaid collar having a locatingrecessatherein, wherebysaid unitmay be resiliently supported bysaid spring'meaus'in a generally circular opening'in any receptacle and positioned therein with reference to. said recess-forpredetermined orientation of the bulb.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Workman L Nov. 10, 1931 Watts Feb. 14, 1933 Godare Feb. 12, 1935 Fagan et al May 5, 1936 Johnson Apr. 18, 1944 Baxter Sept. 25, 1945 Bates Oct. 30, 1945 Foster Dec. 14,.1948

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 23, 1954 

